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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27102577">boyfriend</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/revoleotion/pseuds/revoleotion'>revoleotion</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shall We Date?: Obey Me!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And he shall get one, Couch Cuddles, Fluff, Lucifer Needs a Hug, M/M, other characters may be mentioned but don't show up, sympathetic Barbatos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-09 04:42:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,750</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27102577</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/revoleotion/pseuds/revoleotion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Just relax,” Diavolo says.<br/>“I need you to understand that I can't do that.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barbatos &amp; Lucifer, Diavolo/Lucifer (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>165</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>boyfriend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGoldenGirl/gifts">TheGoldenGirl</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Please come over. I need to try something.</b>
</p><p>It has been fifteen minutes since Lucifer got the text and he hadn’t gotten over it yet. His body itches with the urge to run, there are words building up in his head that he will never release into the air. He will wait until they die, crumble to dust, and finally discard them to the graveyard of chances he refused to take. He can’t say No to Diavolo. He can’t just tell him, “I refuse to participate in whatever you planned now”. </p><p>Right after Diavolo texted him via the group chat with Barbatos, another message showed up in his notification bar. Not in the group chat, a private message. </p><p>
  <b>It is safe to come.</b>
</p><p>Lucifer almost smiled at it. He smiles again when he thinks about it. He hasn’t told Barbatos about his feelings, mostly because he doesn’t talk about his feelings with anyone. Obviously Barbatos knows anyway. It’s one of the things he expects from a demon that can look into the future. There’s no word in his vocabulary to describe how thankful he is that Barbatos uses his powers for this. He’s the one person Lucifer never wants to see on the other side of the battlefield. </p><p>Barbatos hasn’t confirmed or denied that he’s trying to make Lucifer comfortable. Lucifer wouldn’t forgive him if he said that, even if it’s in private. So, they just exist in this odd limbo of mutual respect where Barbatos looks out for him and Lucifer sends him enough tea to fill up multiple mansions. </p><p>He’s on his way to the Castle now, in the passenger seat of the car. Levi offered him a TSL soundtrack disk to listen to on the ride if Lucifer dropped something off at the Castle in return. </p><p>He now regrets it, a little, the way you regret leaving Beel unsupervised in the kitchen for more than twenty seconds. Lucifer understands, to some degree, that Levi’s behavior is not solely a product of his sin. That’s why he accepted the deal. That’s why he listens to five hour rants about a book series he read himself. </p><p>But still. Something feels wrong, because there is no way this can go over smoothly. </p><p>Barbatos waits for him at the entrance and smiles at him, a smile that is reserved for Lucifer. It’s different from the one he gives Diavolo but also not the one he does when he watches Lucifer’s brothers doing the most stupid thing imaginable. </p><p>“He’s in the sitting room,” Barbatos informs him. It’s an expression Lucifer didn’t expect anyone to use, ever. If anyone, then Barbatos. </p><p>“Thank you,” he says. </p><p>“Do you want tea?” </p><p>Lucifer nods, remembers the plastic bag in his hand and awkwardly holds it out with both of his hands. Barbatos looks down on it. </p><p>“Ah, Levi,” he says, in a tone that’s too confused for someone who’s aware of the future. Or the past as well. And it’s likely that him and Levi already texted beforehand. </p><p>“Yes,” Lucifer replies. “Levi.”</p><p>He can’t say that he approves of that whole “Levi sending over merch to distract Diavolo” business but actually saying it out loud would be wasted air. Another pile for the graveyard, he thinks. The words can be resurrected as fierce corpses when he’s drunk enough. Which he isn’t right now. And doesn’t plan to be. </p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“No need to thank me. But please don’t feel forced to take whatever he sent now.”</p><p>“It’s quite alright,” Barbatos says. Yet another thing that is so typical for him that Lucifer couldn’t imagine the expression with any other voice. </p><p>Barbatos leaves to either make tea or to sort out Levi’s junk. Lucifer appreciates that he trusts him enough with finding his way around the castle. Barbatos surely placed more trust in him than Lucifer usually does. Maybe it’s the fact that Diavolo and him are usually very occupied with each other whenever Lucifer visits but he can’t make sense out of the building’s structure. He tries at least three wrong doors before he can make out Diavolo’s back on one of the couches. </p><p>It’s a nice room, book shelves that reach the ceiling and enough lounges and couches to fit the name Barbatos uses for it. It feels more like a library than a sitting room, just the kind of room that can be a part of Satan’s wet dreams. Why did he think that, <em> why did he think that? </em>Lucifer squeezes his eyes shut and counts to ten to get rid of the image. </p><p>“Lucifer?” Diavolo’s voice asks. He hasn’t turned his head to him but Lucifer isn’t surprised that he identified him by the way he entered. He makes more noise than a butler that can quite literally manipulate time. </p><p>“Yes,” he says. There’s always the aftertaste in his mouth, the “my lord” that Diavolo told him to stop saying. It had been an odd order to follow. Torn between his desire to make everything the way it’s supposed to be and following an order from the person he pledged loyalty to, he had eventually learnt to swallow it. The urge isn’t there anymore, just the taste of it. </p><p>“Come here.”</p><p>Lucifer walks around the couch but stops a couple of meters in front of it. He doesn’t want to step onto the carpet with his shoes if he doesn’t have to. </p><p>“You wanted to see me?” he asks, and at the back of his head he thinks that this is how obscene video material usually starts. </p><p>“I wanted to try something. You need to sit down next to me.”</p><p>Diavolo looks amused. But the problem is that he always does. In those moments, Lucifer can’t decide if he wants to believe that Diavolo thinks about every single thing in the universe at the same time or absolutely nothing. He tends to believe the latter option. </p><p>“Should I take my shoes off?” Lucifer asks. </p><p>“Even better!”</p><p>Oh no, Lucifer thinks, and pushes the thought away. </p><p>He carefully places the shoes next to the carpet, steps on it and walks over to Diavolo. The future demon king looks like he’s enjoying himself too much, although this may be his right inside his own home. </p><p>“Good,” he says when Lucifer let himself fall down next to him. Gracefully, obviously. Growing up as an angel has taught him to keep his posture orderly. Anything out of order, anything that might embarrass heaven was always a human right. Lucifer secretly finds it very funny (and mildly offensive) that so many humans strive to become like angels. </p><p>“Okay, now… put your head into my lap,” Diavolo says. </p><p>Lucifer is familiar with this kind of humiliation but this doesn’t mean he knows how to handle it. </p><p>“Excuse me?” he asks. </p><p>“Put your head into my lap.”</p><p>“Are you sure you want to do this now?” Lucifer asks. It’s not like he’s not up for it. He very much is. But Diavolo never asks this of him when they’re not in his bedroom, in fact, he doesn’t ask it a lot. </p><p>Lucifer may imagine things but Diavolo’s cheeks turn an endearing shade of red at this. </p><p>“Not like this,” Diavolo says. “Just relax.” </p><p>“I need you to understand that I can't do that.” </p><p>Diavolo laughs, which makes the embarrassment worth it. Lucifer would do anything to make the demon happy. Not because of his forced loyalty, not because he’s a demon and Lucifer still feels like an angel at times. Because he can trust him. Because he wants to trust him. Because he’d even trust him if Barbatos didn’t text him every time he feels conflicted. </p><p>“It’s easy. Lean back, put your feet up on the couch and-” Diavolo interrupts himself when he sees Lucifer digging his nails into his thighs. “It’s okay. I permit it.”</p><p>“You are no longer allowed to read any of Satan’s books,” Lucifer gets out. </p><p>“Oh, but you love it.” </p><p>He’s right. Lucifer pulls his feet up and gets into the position Diavolo has suggested. He’s practically laying on the couch and the back of his head rests comfortably in Diavolo’s lap. Or at least as comfortable as it gets, Lucifer is very aware of the body part he threatens to crush if he puts too much weight on it. And he doesn’t want to do that. Not now. </p><p>“And now what?” Lucifer asks. </p><p>Diavolo doesn’t say anything. He puts a hand up to Lucifer’s hair and starts playing with it. Lucifer is convinced that not even Satan knows a word for the feeling he’s experiencing right now. He doesn’t dare to move, to breathe, to do anything that may cause Diavolo to stop. </p><p>His fingers work through Lucifer’s freshly washed hair but then stroke his cheeks and finally reach his jaw. Lucifer expects him to touch his neck and almost leans into it but apparently Diavolo’s intentions are a little different today. </p><p>“Your skin is soft,” he says. His voice is deeper than usual and it feels like a hug. </p><p>“What are you doing?” Lucifer asks. </p><p>“I read somewhere that you are supposed to show your boyfriend more affection.”</p><p>“I see,” Lucifer says but he doesn’t, not really. Not because this doesn’t sound like something Diavolo would find in a magazine from Satan or Asmo, probably Asmo, now that he thinks about it. It actually sounds very in character. What Lucifer doesn’t understand is the wording of it. He has never, not once, wanted to be someone’s boyfriend. It’s not a word he’s grown up with, a human word that leaves his throat aching with familiar <em> unfairness</em>. Angels cannot have something this simple, this human. </p><p>“I am your boyfriend?” he asks. </p><p>“Is that okay?” Diavolo asks back. </p><p>“No, I mean yes. I suppose we never cleared that up.”</p><p>It doesn’t feel any clearer now, with Lucifer looking up to a face he has loved for millennia. Time has shaped him into Diavolo’s loyal servant and something more, something that the word “boyfriend” could never carry. </p><p>“Boyfriend,” Lucifer repeats and reaches up to touch Diavolo’s nose with his pointer finger. The demon follows the movement with his eyes and frowns a little when Lucifer manages to nudge his nose. </p><p>“Boyfriend,” Diavolo confirms. </p><p>Maybe they won back then, Lucifer thought. They may have lost that fight with heaven officially, but the feeling that settles into his chest is too pure, too human. Maybe losing the celestial war was the best thing to ever happen to him. </p>
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